Hey, thanks for the kind words!
Actually they are kinda both.....yes they are digital. But it is done in a
program that is the closest thing you can get to a ball of clay.....actually
maybe more. It's called "ZBRUSH" an absolutely astounding art program
that combines sculpting, painting, rendering, and so much more.
From here, I can easily export and animate something like the spider to create a CG like film.....or I can export this to a 3D printer and have any sculpt printed up in plastic (like an action figure) and shipped to my door.
Super cool stuff... There is a REALLY amazing forum of artists that use Zbrush @
http://www.zbrushcentral.com/forum.php